Improvement in egg-carriers



UNI E STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MATTHEW LAFLIN AND STERLING ELLIOTT, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN EGG-CARRIERS.

. Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 201,426, dated March 19, 1878; application filed March 29, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, MATTHEW LAFLIN and STERLING ELLIOTT, of the city of Chi having its sides and ends open, combined with a lid or cover, having a strip covering the outer ends of the top and holding the trays and cover together, and in the half-trays 0r frames, of less depth than the full trays, to economize space, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawings, A represents the side pieces of the outer case; B, the end pieces; 0, the bottom, and D the lid or cover. a a are the side and end rails or frame of the tray; b, a middle cross-bar; c, the half trays or frames; d, the perforated diaphragms or heads of the full trays. e c are the heads of the half-trays; f g, the perforations or holes in the heads; h, eggs in position; i j, end cleats of the outer case; and k, locking-hooks.

The outer case is made of wood, and the side and end pieces A B are firmly secured to the bottom 0, and are made to project upward a sufficient distance to receive the required number of trays, and they are prevented from spreading side-wise by the cross-cleatsj, and endwise by the end cleats or projections t of the lid or cover D. This lid or cover is of sufficient size to cover the case, and is provided at its ends with overhanging projections or cleats 2', which not only serve to keep the cover in position, but also to prevent the case from spreading. The cover is attached to the case by means of the hooks k, as shown; but it may, if desired, be hinged to the case at one side, so as to form a lid.

For the purpose of lifting the trays out in a horizontal position, it is not essential that the ends be open; but it makes a cheaper and loss of space.

stronger case to make the ends as shown, as a single board is liable to split in handling.

We do not limit ourselves to side and end openings, both extending to the bottom board, as either side or end openings are sufiicient for a level lifting of the trays.

The frames to b of the trays are made of wood, and the heads (2 are made, by preference, of paste or straw board, and are firmly secured to the frames a b by tacks or otherwise.

For a tray of ordinary size, each full head is perforated with sixty holes of a size justsufficient to pass the end of an egg, as shown in Fig. 2. The half trays are perforated with thirty similar holes. Their frames 0 are only one-half of the width or depth of the full tray for the lower half-tray, while the upper one, having a similar head, has a full frame on its under side and a half-frame, c, on its upper side, the object of the half-frames being to prevent the contact of the eggs with the bottom and cover Without unnecessary The trays should fit snugly into the case to prevent movement.

In use, a half-tray is first placed in the case and an egg placed in each of the thirty holes. A full tray is then placed in the case, and the upper ends of the eggs put in position occupy thirty of the holes of the head d, so that each egg has a complete lateral support at both ends, as shown at Fig. 2. Eggs are then placed in the remaining half of the holes and another full tray placed over it, and so on until the case is filled, the upper tray having thirty holes and a half-frame on its top, as hereinbefore stated. The cover D is then fastened in place, when the case is ready for shipment.

This construction and arrangement of the case and trays make a cheap, safe, and strong case, and enable the trays to be removed with safety without first removing the eggs.

We do not claim, broadly, a case for containing egg-trays, nor trays; but

What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The body of an eggcarrier, having its sides and ends open to permit lifting the trays without toppling, in combination with the outer case, and the lower layers relieved from cover or lid D, having end strip'i, covering weight, in combination with the full trays and the outer ends of the top of the carrier and case, substantially as described.

trays, and holding said cover and trays to- MATTHEW LAFLIN gether all constructed and operating substantially as specified. STERLING ELLIOTT 2. The half trays or frames 0, of less depth Witnesses: than the full trays, whereby space is econo- O. W. BOND mizecl, the eggs kept from contact with the L. L. BOND. 

